Governments may never again see politics as usual. The Donald Trump Presidency may just be the start. While scrolling through world news reports at the close of last week, I discovered one huge surprise for Canadian politics plus the Gambian President’s back!
Update: The Gambia
On December 1, 2016, President Yahya Jammeh conceded defeat to 51-year-old Adama Barrow, a property developer who studied and worked in England before returning to his native land. The election marked the first peaceful transition of power in the tiny West African country.
The incumbent ruled with an iron hand since a successful coup d’état in 1994 ended the nearly thirty-year reign of The Gambia’s first President. Jammeh often took exception to opposition, routinely imprisoning his political opponents. They endured repeated torture, many dying while incarcerated.
One week after Jammeh’s concession speech, the hopes of the celebrating masses plummeted. President Yahya changed his mind.
The stunned leader had won each election every five years for twenty-two years. Yahya Jammeh never expected to lose. Few Gambians thought anyone could unseat President Jammeh. The defeated leader claimed election fraud and demanded a recount.
President Jammeh had served the economy well on the tourist front. Each year The Gambia hosts 100,000 tourists attracted to her beaches. Half come from Britain, most of the others from Holland. When Yahya refused to step down, dozens of planes left Europe to bring the tourists home before trouble erupted.
Inauguration of President-Elect Barrow had already been scheduled for January 19. When the delegation from the West African regional leadership group failed to convince President Jammeh to step down, the President-Elect left town with the delegation. All feared for Barrow’s safety.
Inauguration, January 19
First reports said Barrow accompanied the delegation to Bamako, Mali. However, the President-Elect took the oath of office at the Gambian Embassy in Dakar, Senegal on Thursday, January 19.
Following the swearing in of President Adama Barrow, Jammeh was given until midnight to leave The Gambia. If not, Senegalese troops would cross the border into Gambia. Nigeria sent a warship with hundreds of troops to wait just off the coast.
At the stroke of Midnight, the troops and tanks crossed the border on their way to the capital city.
With the troops marching toward the capital, two more West African Presidents pleaded with Yahya to leave peacefully and spare his country the violence. Ultimately, the concessions included the release of ten luxury vehicles Jammeh wanted to take with him into exile, exoneration from any prosecution for what he’d done, and other terms unspecified in the media. Rumors abound that more than $11 million went missing from the State coffers during the two weeks leading up to his departure.
Late Saturday, January 21, Former-President Jammeh accompanied the President of the Republic of Guinea on his return to Conakry. The final country of exile has not been released. As one who lives in Guinea, I’m more than certain Yahya’s two Rolls Royce’s will never last on the rugged streets of our cities, if that’s any indication of final destination.
President Adama Barrow’s first days
Meanwhile, from the Embassy in Dakar, newly-inaugurated President Barrow ordered the Gambian troops to surrender their arms. Only then, with the 7000 Senegalese and Nigerian military providing security for Barrow, would he return to take his place inside the country.
On Thursday, January 26, President Barrow and his family landed at the airport in Gambia’s capital city. Hoards of cheering citizens poured through the narrow airport gates, while others lined the streets as far as the eye could see. Their new President had come home.
The First Family resides in their former digs until the Presidential lodging can be thoroughly secured, and preparations completed.
Time will tell if President Adama Barrow can deliver on his election promises, not to mention the myriad of other items on the citizenry’s list for him.
Canadian Political Surprise
Canada: Election October 21, 2019
Last week, Canadian Venture Capitalist, Kevin O’Leary tossed his hat into the ring. Not into the Dragon’s Den where he grilled hopeful business newbie’s from 2006 to 2014, or into the Shark Tank where Mr. Wonderful has been making young entrepreneurs squirm since 2009, but into the Canadian political ring.
On October 21, 2019, Kevin Mr. Wonderful O’Leary plans to take the helm from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, elected PM October 2015. Conservative O’Leary declared that he’ll undue all that liberal leader Trudeau has already done because it’s not good for the Canadian people and economy.
If you think O’Leary has no chance in politics, you might need to think again. Testing the waters for public support for his Conservative leadership bid, O’Leary sought to raise $25,000 the first twenty-four hours of fundraising.
Imagine the excitement inside O’Leary’s campaign team when the cash raised amounted to $183,963.51 in a single day—from 1911 donors.
Compare that figure to the cash raised for the entire six months of the Trudeau campaign. The total $2,017,975 came from 12,870 contributors.
The last American election south of the Canadian border proved that tons of cash wasn’t enough to grab the top spot. Maybe Mr. Wonderful will need to soften his public persona a tad. I mean, what citizen likes to be called a cockroach, right?
Conclusion
One thing’s certain: The world of politics is undergoing drastic changes.
Whether in the United States or Canada, American politics are not looking like business as usual. In Africa, there’s a determination to see that leaders are chosen by ballot, not by violence. And, as mentioned in last week’s post, European nationalist conservative candidates actually have a chance of taking their country’s top spot.
Consider checking out world news on channels other than mainstream America to get a more complete view of the world in which we live. Listening or reading reports for all sides will help sift through the sensationalism, boiling things down to lift out some measure of truth. Where politics are concerned, there are more sides to every issue than one could imagine.
It’s comforting to know that God’s got the whole world in his hands. May the plans of the Lord be fulfilled for the good of all His children.
